And if you want to imagine the future, imagine a boot ... no, imagine a sneaker, laces trailing, kicking a pebble; imagine a stick, to poke at interesting things, and to throw for a dog who may or may not decide to retrieve it; imagine a tuneless whistle, pounding some luckless popular song into insensibility; imagine a figure, half angel, half demon, all human...Slouching hopefully towards Tadfield...... forever.

I attempt coherency and some semi-meta thought. But this episode was 100% crack, pretty much in purest form (if crack can be pure), and it did go like a fanfic, but it was fun and heartachy and good.

Arthur/Gwen was pushed forwards again, in different ways to previous episodes. This was their relationship being pushed; not individual growth through Gwen talking to Arthur talking with each other. If Arthur doubted Gwen reciprocated his feelings, that doubt is gone.

I'm glad they've moved on from that actually; that it's their combined future which is murky, and not whether affection lies equally between them.

Huge props to Arthur for going to her, and semi fighting for her. It was a somewhat half-hearted attempt ("that may change" - YOU. YOU can change that.) but given it was Gwen that voiced doubt, I can understand why he wouldn't necessarily push it. I am not one for hating on Lancelot, but I do want to make the note (for myself, more than anything) that Arthur has consistently (... twice) gone to Gwen to try and smooth things over. Whether it be putting a stop to their initial beginning, or this time, to apologise and thank her. And confess himself to her. That is something new. Oh, my heart. IMO, for them to move into solid territory, Arthur needs to decide, definitively, that Gwen is who he wants, no equivocations, and that he will absolutely do what it takes to have her.

Damn that Gwen is once again forced to be the voice of reason. And damn that she didn't accept his weak offer to fight. Again, understandable: Arthur did not ask her to wait, but spoke love without any guarantee, of things maybe possibly changing. She simply cannot allow them to go further than they are when it could/would cost her everything and him very little (er, heartbreak aside) if things went wrong. And, from her viewpoint, they are guaranteed to. It would be a fling; she would be his mistress. If he claims love, that should mean a solid base and a crown (though I am, by no means, implying that Gwen desires a crown - more on that in a minute); instead, it would be sneaking around and high risk.

On Gwen being queen: I think it's interesting she said that she cannot be Arthur's queen. I really, really wonder how much thought she's given that. Does she want to be queen, if she could be? Does she think she could do it? We all know she can (those who love and support Gwen, at any rate) but I would be really surprised if she felt capable of it. In any case, I think it's important that she thrust their statuses between them, and not Arthur. I think we'll find that isn't his primary concern anymore, though I could be basing that presumption mostly on Bradley's comment about Lancelot being the main point of contention from Arthur's POV. I wonder if there will be more on that in an upcoming episode.

I find it interesting that Gwen had been gung-ho on seeing him again after she received the note, and yet when faced with him, she turned those pseudo-advances aside. I presume she was more open to a meeting, as the way she arranged everything should have meant conversation and (hopefully?) a time where they would lay all cards on the table. Instead, she got a life-threatening save-the-day kiss, and an apology. =/ But just as Arthur needs to step up, Gwen needs to a little bit, too. It's a nearly impossible situation, but the fact is that she trusts Arthur with Camelot, but not with her heart. Ehh... Now that I write that, I don't know if I agree with myself, but I'll let it stand for now.

One Two final notes before I flail about their kiss: Merlin and shipping the two of them makes me warm and fuzzy inside. And I am so ridiculously glad that Gwen knows Merlin knows now. I think she needs someone to know, for her sake, even if she doesn't talk to him about it or anything. She had been dealing with it all alone for so long. Bradley + ~*~enchanted~*~ = LOLARIOUS I CAN'T EVEN. And Uther being "TF. *IMPERSONATES FISH* was so great, I L U ASH. Acting, as always, superb. This show is just... I want to give them gold statues and ponies and a space shuttle for being so awesome.

Kiss: NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM. I liked the arms and the tenderness and and ngh- the dip and the way Gwen kept petting his face afterwards. And the way Arthur was all wooooow and Gwen was kind of like "hi... :)" Also: DAMN GIRL. Shoving him against the tent support like that. When Gwen means business, SHE MEANS BUSINESS. ♥

ETA: In rewatching, I... am probably overthinking, but what the hell: when Arthur says, "I have never loved another" just after Gwen alludes to Lance, I would wonder if he was then hoping she would say the same. And if she knew that. He looks hopeful, then somewhat dashed, and thereinlies where my thought about Gwen needing to trust Arthur with her heart a little bit came from. And possibly also why Arthur could only give quibbly offers, rather than definitive promises about the future. He knows Gwen cares about him, but doesn't know whether it's actually love on her side of things? And Gwen... perhaps also doesn't know if it's love she feels. Afterall, the kiss was required from the person Arthur loved; it did not require reciprocation. /ETA

ROFL. I JUST COMMENTED ON YOURS. YOU REMINDED ME THAT THE DRAGON LOL'D AND HOW AWESOME THAT IS.

See, I am one of the few people in the universe who doesn't believe in the resest button? And by few people, I mean that I'm fairly sure it's me, two other folk and a pack of wild squirrels who just think there may be some nuts at our meetings.

I do get the continuity thing - I guess why I don't view the apparent lack of continuity as a "reset button" is because they're trying to chase so many storylines that they can't possibly include everything all the time. When given half a chance, they've done a decent job of pointing back to things (just within A/G realms: Gwen's dad, and now, as you said, Lancelot) so I guess I figure that so long as they keep doing that, they're good? But I could just be giving them too much credit, it's true.

Don't worry, I still don't have a post yet for this ep. I don't think there would be much coherent thought to it.

I hope they don't use the reset button for the next episode, that would suck....:(BLASTED RESET BUTTON!!!! I deny its existence. Now it can never reappear in the course of the show. My logic is infallible because Uther has a pink DS and I have a nice hat. lol...

I've finished watching the episode some time ago and i still cannot stop thinking about it, how we got our A/G dose even if Gwen got hurt in the process but at least they more or less showed their feelings for each other

Also: DAMN GIRL. Shoving him against the tent support like that. When Gwen means business, SHE MEANS BUSINESS. ♥

Gwen for Queen!!! I have to admit that i knew about the legend before and i had never been a fan of Ginebra/Guinevere (my favorite always had been Isolde) but this time you just love her and only want Arthur and her to be together, but.. if I had been the one in that tent, goshhh, maybe arthur wouldn't have appeared to fight that last part because i really think he was hot during the whole episode, or it just may be my hormones talking, who knows :D

I find it interesting that Gwen had been gung-ho on seeing him again after she received the note, and yet when faced with him, she turned those pseudo-advances aside.I just found it confusing, tbqh. What's with the mixed messages, Gwen? I guess any girl would be flattered to be receiving the flowers (aw Merlin writing love!notes on Arthur's behalf. He's so precious) - but I just thought it was cruel to give Arthur hope and then knock him down again.

I think I sort of spent the episode damning my internet to hell for going so slowly (and whoever posted the link for the quality) and hoping for the inevitable true-loves-kiss that I didn't really get a chance to think about it (it's crack. I'll fall if I take it too srsly!), but I'm sure there'll be plenty of discussion over the next week at camelot_love :)

Hmm.. I have to think on it more, but I would imagine Gwen sort of saw the risk of her actions. She decided to put herself out there, got crazy hurt (even if it was incidental) and then was forced to reveal herself. She must have been envisioning a mature conversation or something over dinner about where they could go and how they could do it. Instead, she has to kiss him, and reveal herself quite blatantly, and I think the fact that it was a noblewoman to whom Arthur was enchanted sort of acted as a reality check. She was brought down from her Maybe Clouds, slammed back into earth. I don't blame her; I feel really sorry for her.

LOL ♥ Merlin is DEFINITELY a lurker on c_l... and possibly he writes sekrit fanfic from time-to-time BUT IS TOO SHY TO POST IT.

I feel a bit badly for Lancelot, in all honesty, because he'll just end up being shucked to the side. Or maybe dead. Who knows. But I feel that the way the show is going, Lancelot won't be in the picture permanently. Sucks for him D:

Or maybe he actually posts all the sekrit fic under a different name... now we're going to go on a massive (I hesitate to say "witch hunt") *quest* to figure out which one of us is actually Merlin's pseudonym...

In regards to Lancelot, I'm a horrible person. I was on the BBC website yesterday and I thought "why isn't Lancelot listed under the Season 2 Villians???"

I have to stop commenting before any sense of normalcy is completely gone forever...

Aw. Poor Lance. You know, I used to hate him after his series 1 ep... He was too flouncy and sort of perfect there, ya know? But his episode this season deepened his character so much that I can't hate the guy. I just want him to be happy now - without Gwen, mind you - but happy and successful and with a life full of hope. I THINK I AM ASKING TOO MUCH. I still think Lancelot will die before the series is over.

It is so interesting to read the ep from the perspective of someone so invested in the A/G relationship (which is totally a good thing!). You gave lots of thoughts on Gwen's possible thinking and reasoning for her actions and such that I honestly didn't pick up on. In rewatching, it'll give me a slightly different outlook on her scenes and her actions.

BTW, I am awful when it comes to different shippy things (eaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarly on in fandom, er...10ish years ago I was flabbergasted at the ship wars in my shows; fandoms *_*), so please do let me know if I overstep my boundaries with my M/A love in your LJ, yeah?)

That being said! Bradley wins at his facial expressions...especially when enchanted!

I am possibly too invested in Gwen, but I figure that most of fandom has a hate on for her, so I can be allowed to go nutty about her XD And yeah, A/G wins me over every time because of the balance inherent there =] It's just easy for me to see them ruling magnificently.

As discussed, no worries, bb. Was not offended or anything by your other comment. TO WHICH I HAVE FINALLY HAD TIME TO RESPOND <3

ROFL THIS WHOLE CAST HAVE THE MOST EXPRESSIVE FACES. IF THEY + JENSEN WERE TO TEAM UP FOR SOME 30 MINUTE THING OF CRACKERY, IT WOULD BE THE MOST EXPRESSIVE 30 MINUTES OF MY LIFE. I don't even know when/why/how this would happen, but a girl can dream about a fandom explosion ;P

Only other thing I have to say (methinks):Kiss: NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM. Honestly, this made me lol for about a minute or two. I have no way of explaining how my mind immediately jumps from "kissing scene" to "nom nom nom", but it does. So when I saw someone else posting that in a review, it made me lol immensely.